Eddie McGuire fires up after commentators make light of Mason Cox’s eye protection

Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has criticised an Adelaide Crows star and footy commentators following an ugly incident in Round 15.

Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has criticized Adelaide Crows midfielder Ben Keays for forcibly removing Mason Cox’s protective eyewear during a scuffle in their recent match at the MCG.

Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has criticised Adelaide Crows midfielder Ben Keays for forcibly removing Mason Cox’s protective eyewear during a scuffle in their recent match at the MCG.

Cox, who has undergone multiple eye surgeries, played a crucial role in the Magpies’ comeback, kicking two pivotal goals in the final quarter.

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However, a brief melee ensued after his second goal, leading to Keays snatching Cox’s goggles from his head.

McGuire expressed his anger and concern regarding Cox’s eye condition, as the player’s AFL career was once in serious jeopardy due to consecutive surgeries in 2019.

McGuire also took issue with commentators Nathan Buckley and Garry Lyon for making lighthearted jokes about the incident.

Since the beginning of the 2022 season, Cox has been wearing protective goggles due to the risk of further eye injuries that could potentially end his AFL career.

At one point, he even faced temporary blindness and had to limit his exposure to light for over a month to recover his vision.

As a result of his actions, Keays was fined $1000 by the AFL for misconduct. However, McGuire argued that the incident was more severe than a simple misconduct charge would suggest.

Since the beginning of the 2022 season, Cox has been wearing protective goggles due to the risk of further eye injuries that could potentially end his AFL career.

Ben Keays of the Crows removes the glasses of Mason Cox of the Magpies during round 15.

During an interview on Channel 9‘s Footy Classified, McGuire pointed out that Cox, the league’s only American player and standing over 200cm tall, was an easy target for both on-field rivals and dismissive commentary.

“The thing with Cox is he doesn‘t deserve to get any less attention but he certainly doesn’t need to get extra attention,” he said.

“I thought it was really, really ordinary, the whole thing.

“That this was [treated like] a novelty, it‘s not, he’s a professional football player who has an eye condition and is wearing glasses because of that. If he could wear contact lenses he would, but he needs the protection of his eyes.

“I just thought it was pretty ordinary to be perfectly honest.

“ I think we have got to get past this whole thing with Mason Cox that he is just an oddity - he kicked two goals to win the game, [and] he‘s a serious footballer, he’s come back from adversity.”

Eddie McGuire has criticised Adelaide Crows midfielder and footy commentators over the debacle.

McGuire also expressed his disappointment with Buckley and Lyon, acknowledging that he didn‘t want to be overly critical. However, he felt that the incident was trivialised and turned into amusement by the commentary, failing to recognise the risk Cox faces every week and the importance of his eyewear.

“I‘m not going to have a crack at Garry and even Nathan, to a degree there, but every time Garry Lyon calls Coxy getting whacked, everyone is laughing like it’s a comedy act,” McGuire continued.

“This is a guy who is one poke in the eye away from being blind.”

“He‘s had three major surgeries on his eye. He lay on his back in a dead black room for basically a month to try and get his eyesight back and we’re laughing because some narc jumps up, who has to almost do his PB in the high jump, to rip his glasses off.”

Originally published as Eddie McGuire fires up after commentators make light of Mason Cox’s eye protection